Press releases

12 Aug 2026

Gomel Oblast to present its cultural gems at Call of Polesie festival

An archive photo

GOMEL, 12 August (BelTA) - Eight districts will represent Gomel Oblast at the Call of Polesie festival of ethnocultural traditions. Each of them will host its own pavilion showcasing the most distinctive customs, cultural traditions, and authentic recipes, Vice Governor of Gomel Oblast Dmitry Aleinikov told BelTA.

The Call of Polesie is dedicated to the Year of the Belarusian Women. Overall, the Polesie districts of Gomel Oblast and Brest Oblast are united under the common theme The Heart of Polesie in Women's Hands which honors the outstanding women from the participating districts. This theme underpins the presentations of each pavilion of the Polesie districts in Gomel Oblast. The main pavilions will be set up on the grounds of the open-air museum of Pripyatsky National Park.

Craftsmen, artisans, and artistic groups have prepared mini-concert programs and workshops for the festival.

Petrikov District will have the honor of opening the showcase of Gomel Oblast’s pavilions setting the stage for a journey into the region's rich heritage.

A theatrical performance will explore the stories of Sofia Olelkowicz-Radziwill, whose role in the development of the town of Petrikov was immense, and whose wisdom and foresight left an indelible mark on the history of Polesie. The reenactment of the historical moment of the town's endowment and the subsequent fair will be followed by a parade of living statues depicting Belarusian women from the 16th to the 20th century.

The Mozyr District pavilion will be celebrating theater and circus introducing visitors to the history of these arts from the 16th century – from nativity puppet theaters (batleyka) and stilt walkers to the art of wandering minstrel actors (skomorokhi) and on to modern times. The pavilion will honor two women: Galina Dashkevich, an actress of Mozyr People's Theater, and Maria Kuznetsova, the founder of the Arena Circus Arts Center.

Next is Yelsk District, once known as Karolina's Town. Here, guests will learn the story of Karolina Oskierko, the owner of the town, whose fate became closely intertwined with the history of these lands.

Woman-Song will welcome guests at the Zhitkovichi District pavilion. The hostess will guide visitors through the four seasons with four seasonal rites – Vecherki [evening gatherings], Yurye [St. George's Day], Zazhynki [start of harvest], and Bagach harvest festival. The atmosphere will be warm and lively, accompanied throughout this mini-journey by the Dubravitsa folk group, the bearers of the unique singing tradition of the Turov interfluve between the Pripyat River and Stviga River. The singers’ voices convey the full depth and beauty of the Polesie soul.

Narovlya District will greet guests with Narovlya Laces by Yulia Kavrus, a folk master of Belarus. Here, the master's paper-cut vytinanka pieces will come to life, immersing visitors in the enchanting Ivan Kupala traditions that hold the ancient wisdom of Polesie. An encounter by the Kupala tree with water nymphs and Zheuzhyks will draw guests into a quest to find the paparats-kvetka fern flower.

The Vesnyanka folk group will greet guests at the Lechitsy District pavilion with songs and dances that showcase the traditions of Polesie. To the merry tunes of a children’s orchestra of noise instruments, master classes in folk dances and the making of forest beehives will be held.

Meanwhile, the Khoiniki District pavilion will recreate the character of Hanna Charnushka from Ivan Melezh's immortal novel People of the Marsh. The fate of this literary heroine is a symbol of the resilience, diligence, courage, and love that are inherent to the women of Polesie. Guests will get a taste of life among the marshes, stopping by the Pear of Predictions for advice, playing Polesie Checkers: Cast Iron and Fabric and crossing the Musical Bridge of Generations.

Kalinkovichi District will welcome guests at the Living Spring of Paulinka. This pavilion will feature the creative talent of Polina Lapatik and the folk group Byarozauskiya Pieralivy who will present a piece of the calendar rite Blagoveshchenie [Annunciation]. Visitors will have the chance to refresh themselves from the Well of Living Water – Birch Kvass and contribute to a “living archive” by sharing memories of their own families and ancestral folklore.

The organizers emphasized that this is only part of a larger program. “At the Call of Polesie everyone will surely find something close and familiar to them, something that resonates in their soul and heart, and they will take away a wealth of vivid impressions and emotions. Because no one ever leaves the Polesie region without them," Dmitry Aleinikov stressed.

The Call of Polesie festival will be held in the agrotown of Lyaskovichi, Gomel Oblast on 15 August.